Apex Legends: For Fame and Power
by TheJediAvenger
Summary: Eleven Legends. Two nights of death. One pair of champions. Some enter for glory. Others enter to find themselves. For one legend, they want to gain wealth and fame, while outwitting with their tech. For the other, they want those who watch to know who they are...for the good of the universe.
1. Preface

Preface

* * *

This story is going to be a bit different from what is known of the battle royale. Here is where I will highlight as much as I can about the changes from the BR to this story.

Items that **don't exist** in the story and for what reason they will not be included:

**Shield Cell**

*Adds more severity to having just one shield and helmet. It takes hits and loses integrity, making each fight more dangerous than the last one.

**Shield Battery**

*Same idea as the Shield Cell

**Phoenix Kit**

*Same idea as the Shield Cell

**Ultimate Accelerants**

*This is merely a gameplay mechanic and wouldn't make much sense in a "more realistic" setting. The ultimates of each Legend will be tweaked appropriately so they aren't too pathetic or too over-powered.

**Respawn Beacons**

*Once someone is dead, they are dead. It will make the action and fights have more intensity and more meaning.

* * *

The entire match of this story is also different in its timescale. Instead of a match lasting until the last ring (which is 25 minutes), the rings are much slower and a single match lasts an entire weekend.

The same idea applies to consumables such as syringes and med kits. Nobody gets instantly healed from those things. Instead, those items will heal over time. Syringes and Med Kits heal completely in a few hours. Syringes heal small injuries, like cuts, scraps and flesh wounds while Med Kits deal with serious injuries, such as internal bleeding, bullet wounds that can be lethal in minutes and effects from grenades and brutal hand-to-hand combat.

I will make changes where necessary and will update at the beginning of chapters if need be. I'm posting this ahead of time to get the category up publicly on . Hopefully, the first chapter will be out soon! Follow me to stay updated!

~TheJediAvenger~


	2. Chapter 1 Meeting the Other Half

Meeting the Other Half

* * *

The lobby. It was a cafeteria that was much too large for the amount of legends that had signed up for this match. In fact, it was large enough for each of the teams to talk normally without having to worry about other teams hearing their conversations. Everyone had already teamed up with their partner…except for Eliott. He had been fashionably late because one part of his hair was being an annoyance.

_Alright. Just got to find them. They should be by themselves. _

Eliott glanced over to his left to see that the fighter known as Caustic was sitting at a table by himself. He quickly looked away, knowing that wasn't his teammate. However, the person sitting at the table on the far side of the room seemed to be who he was looking for. Sauntering closer and closer towards them, he began to take in their physical appearance.

Their face was down on their tables, surrounded by the arms around it. It was creating the darkness that they probably wanted and needed to rest. The top half of their shoulder-length hair was white, while the lower half was black.

As Eliott sat down on the opposite side of the table, he had noticed that their pants and jacket were a dark blue denim. The long-sleeved shirt underneath the jacket was white, its sleeves just long enough to peak out of the wrists of the jacket. He slowly leaned down to look underneath the table to see their shoes, which were dark brown leather boots with no distinguishable heels to them. Judging from their build and skin tone, it was safe to believe that they were human in one way or another.

"Hey there. You must be my partner. I'm Mirage." Eliott said with a gentle smirk.

They didn't move from their position or even say anything in return. They still had they head down on the table and hidden behind their arms. It looked as though they were asleep.

Eliott raised his voice slightly. "Hey."

Still no response.

He slowly reached over and tapped their left arm. Their right hand instantly swung up and grabbed his right hand. The sudden reaction made him jump and try to take it back. However, their grip remained firm as they raised their head up to stare him directly in his hazel eyes with their aqua-hued ones.

She blinked a few times to clear her sight, while taking in a deep breath to wake herself up. Someone had tapped her hand as she slept. Whoever had woken her up was going to receive a free lecture on the dangers of waking her up. They couldn't escape from this, as she had quickly grabbed onto the hand they had used to waken her. She looked up to see a man looking at her with a shocked expression. She had an idea on how this was.

"You're Mirage, right?"

"Uh…yeah. That's me. "She sighed, letting him take back his hand. He immediately pulled it back with a chuckle. "Quite a grip you got there."

She pulled back the sleeves of her jacket and shirt on her left wrist to reveal a flat piece of metal, that appeared to look like a bracelet. As she placed a finger on it, it projected several holographic icons on its surface. Pressing one of them, she sighed as she pushed her hair back from her ears and took out earbud-like receivers. "What did you say?"

Mirage noted the devices as he replied, "I said you have quite a grip."

"Thanks…I guess."

"So, you must be Unity."

"That's why I go by, yes."

Mirage had to keep this conversation going. She was just giving him answers that couldn't be turned into a good discussion. Noting the receivers she had taken out of her ears, he decided to take that route. "Were you listening to music? What do you like?"

"Classics." She, in turn, put the receivers back in her ears and tapped on the same icon on her sleek wrist device as before. She had left Mirage, laying her head down on her arms and shutting her eyes to the lobby.

He placed his right elbow on the table, resting his head in his hand. She obviously wasn't the talkative type. One of his skills was talking, whether it was witty remarks or flirtatious banter. He wasn't going to push for a response. She wanted to be left alone. He sometimes felt that way too. However, he wasn't going to waste his time sitting around. He began to recheck all the holo-devices on his clothing, making sure they would function without a problem. One little error could cost him and his partner greatly.

Minutes, which felt like seconds to Eliott, passed before a loud voice sounded through the many speakers that were on the walls of the lobby.

_Attention all legends: please proceed out the North Side doors to enter the dropship. Attention all legends: please proceed out the North Side doors to enter the dropship. _

Mirage snapped on the device he had been working on and looked over at Unity. She was still in the same position as earlier. He once again reached over to tap her arm, this time not being stopped by her hand grabbing his. He waited for her to tap her wrist device and remove just one of her receivers this time. "It's time to leave."

"Very well." She stuffed the receiver in one of her jacket pockets and stood up from the table, leaving the other receiver that was in her right ear in.

The two of them walk side by side, being the last group out of the North Side doors. They were several yards behind the rest of the groups. Every duo, of each team, was talking to each other, except for the legend Caustic since he was alone and the team of Mirage and Unity. Normally, Mirage would just try to spark a conversation but held back. There was something different about his partner. He wasn't sure what it was. She was giving off vibes that were just…different. An unknown type of different that Eliott couldn't decipher. He couldn't tell if they were good vibes or bad ones. They were just out of place. They felt like they belong somewhere else. But, in the end, she was still his partner. They had to work and communicate to win this weekend long match. He intended to survive this fight with his partner.

_Patience is definitely not a suit I have, but..._

Mirage looked over at Unity, who had her eyes on the large dropship that they both were slowly approaching with every step they took.

_I'll wait a bit longer. If she talks first, I may have a shot at keeping a conversation going. I tend to be lucky when it comes to opportunities. Let's hope I don't run out of it over the weekend. _


	3. Chapter 2 Observing the Competition

Observing the Competition

* * *

The dropship had finally taken off and was heading for King's Canyon on schedule. It was a half an hour trip to the drop. It gave time for everyone to talk to their comrade on their team or to think to themselves. Unity was doing the latter. She thought to herself as she began to take in each legend that was on board the ship. The more information she could gather, the better off she and her teammate would be. Having studied the information that had been placed on the hand tablet, that each legend had received upon entering the ship, Unity knew each of the legends' names. However, that is all the data that was there. It was just a portrait of each legend with a name underneath them. There were no details on what special tactics and abilities that each legend had. Sure, she figured that the creator and overseers of this game made it that way to make the game more interesting, but it would make the fight for each legend that much more difficult.

The first legend that Unity's eyes fell upon was Bloodhound. Their appearance was vastly different form most of the legends. Their gear completely hid any distinguishing features. She couldn't tell if they were male or female. However, she knew that they were a living being, underneath the thick clothing and face mask that they bore.

_Perhaps their gear is hidden with what they wear. The googles could very well be scanners of some type. Besides that, I'm not sure what they could possibly be hiding within that gear. Let's hope it isn't too much to worry about._

The next legend she looked at was the only non-living thing aboard. It was the legend that went by the name of Pathfinder. They were indeed a robot with a sleek body type and a flat screen implanted on the front of their chest. The bot had only a single optic that acted as their eye and on their back they had two cylinders that appeared to house coils of wire.

_They have coils of wire? Maybe…it can be used to reach places not easily accessible. That would mean they must have some type of hook to implant the wire firmly where they have to. They definitely will have more mobility than most of us here. I'll have to keep that in mind._

The next legends Unity looked at was the one that Pathfinder was speaking to: Octane. They were definitely human male, a mask being the only thing covering up their facial features. They, like Bloodhound, also had googles over their eyes. The only other unique thing about them was their legs. They were no longer human legs but robotic ones. He kept running in place, seeming unable to stand still for a second.

_Damn. It seems like this guy has excessive energy. I wish I could have that type of stamina. If my memory is correct, this must be the same Octane that is a bit of a daredevil. It must be, considering the Octane I read about ended up bowing his legs off during some risky stunt awhile back. If he is acting like this, it means he will be very dangerous during the game. He has looked death in the face by losing his legs. Having bullets shot his way won't slow him down._

Next to observe was Bloodhound's partner: Wraith. She appeared to be an average human at first glance. Unity knew better. Upon gazing at the woman, she saw that her arms were wrapped in think arcs of what appeared to be electricity. As for her eyes, they had no color. They were white, the centers possessing an offset light blue. She had skills far beyond what the other legends possessed or could even hope to obtain.

_Those eyes have seen things beyond our dimension. She appears to have knowledge that nobody else has ever discovered too. Just looking at her is enough to know that she is going to be very dangerous in this battle. There's no telling just what feats she can do. She may have abilities like mine, abilities attainable through technology or practice. _

Next was a large man that looked as though nothing could make him move: Gibraltar. He seemed rather normal guy. The other thing note-worthy about him was the shield that he was carrying by his side. It appeared to be a shield that would activate when needed, using some type of transparent forcefield.

_Seems pretty average to me, minus the shield. There must be a secret ability he is hiding completely. Let's hope it doesn't get me and my partner killed. Besides that, if we run into him and his partner, they shouldn't be too much of a hassle. Speaking of his partner…_

The woman standing off to his side went by the name of Bangalore. Everything about her screamed 'military', from her attire to her stance. She even wore a serious yet blank stare as Gibraltar was talking to her about something. Besides that, she seemed to be just like any other human that was on this ship: ordinary but legendary.

_She has definitely experienced combat up close and personal. This is one person I hope we don't see during the battle. Their expertise is their greatest strength and I would rather not be on the receiving end of it. That and she does have a device on her back that nobody knows what it does…except her. Let's hope another team deals with them before we get a chance to._

Another fighter she looked at stunned her for a few moments. The person she was looking had to be the youngest one on the ship, appearing to be in their early or mid-twenties. She seemed to wear an orange jacket and blue gloves that were made from rubber. Smart, considering that there was a cylindrical object on her back that seemed to give off sparks every few seconds.

_According to the portrait that was on the tablet, she goes by Wattson. She's so young. Why is she here? To be so young and risk losing your life in this blood sport. She must need to win, whether it's for the money or to prove something. I really hope we don't face his duo. I may not have it in me to aim her way, even though I must win._

The next of the legends to grab her attention was a man that was standing at the very end of the dropship, as if he wanted to be the first one to jump out. He was also the only person on the ship that didn't have a partner for the fight. He had requested to not be paired with anyone. He was husky, looked to be close to fifty in age, and had dark hair that was slicked back. As for his clothing, the most notable bits were the googles and breathing mask that were on his face, and the two long, silver canisters that were on his sides, connected to his belt.

_He's Caustic. He is far different from these other fighters. I don't what it is about him, but he screams death as I look at him. I don't he is fighting for the fame or money that comes with the win of this death game. He's here for another reason. A darker reason. I'm not sure I want to know what it is. Let's hope we don't cross paths. _

The legend that Wattson was speaking to was her partner for this match: Lifeline. She had several pouches and pockets on her that were, more than likely, holding lots of equipment that was for her line of work. On her left was a very huge pouch that was holding a type of medical drone. She looked as though she was prepared for anything and everything to happen to her and her partner.

_Lifeline. I read somewhere that she was with the Frontier Corps. She must be here to win and use the winnings to fund them. Having someone as your partner who can heal you quickly and professionally is a big advantage. That, coupled with whatever Wattson can do, is going to be a very challenging duo. She is definitely going to be useful to their fight. As for my teammate…_

She looked over to her left to see that her partner, Mirage, was still standing directly beside her. Out of all the legends on the ship, he seemed to be the most normal, average, egotistical of them all. His clothing was dotted with several devices, and he had a pair of googles that were resting around his forehead.

_I had a chance to get any partner for this fight. And yet, I still end up getting someone that doesn't seem to have any fighting experience, survival instincts or tactical prowess. Just what is his goal? Money? Probably. Also the fame. But to risk his life for it? Why? Seems rather reckless. Oh well. It doesn't matter to me. What matters is winning, and I can do that, whether this guy can hold his own or not. _

As Unity was finishing taking in the other legends, a red light and alarm blinked and sounded in unison. Over the speaker system in the dropship, a voice called out the signal.

_All legends. You may drop into King's Canyon when you are ready. The title of Apex Champion awaits. Good luck. _

The first to jump out of the dropship was Caustic, being closest to the open door. The next team out was Wraith and Bloodhound, followed almost immediately by Lifeline and Wattson. A few seconds passed and then Gibraltar and Bangalore jumped out, followed a few seconds later by Pathfinder and Octane. The last ones on board were Mirage and Unity.

Mirage tapped her shoulder. "Let's get this party started."

Unity nodded silently, unaware of the exact words Mirage said since she had both her earpieces in by this time and was playing her music at a high volume. However, she knew what he was trying to do. She walked beside him and jumped in perfect timing to him. As they fell out of the ship, Unity's device was already a few seconds into a song in her lengthy playlist. It was a very old song. Calming and coincidentally perfect for the situation.

_I'm a baaaaad boy…'cause I don't even miss her_

_I'm a baaaaad boy…for breaking her heart_

_And I'm freeeeeeee_

_Free fallin, fallin_

_And I'm freeeeeeeee_

_Free fallin, fallin _


	4. Chapter 3 In Need of Gear

In Need of Gear

* * *

Out of all the places to land in King's Canyon, Mirage had chosen for the two of them to drop in the Swamps. No other team had dropped near there, making it a safe start to gather gear for themselves. They were in the murky, shin-high water slowly trudging to the nearest two-story building. They took the wooden ramp up to one of its doors, Mirage being the one to push against the door. Metallic creaks echoed through the building as the door was opened. He noticed a gun and some ammo on floor as he entered.

Unity didn't enter, looking at another structure nearby. "I'm going to check the next building. Separating is a more optimal way to gather what we need more quickly."

"Okay. Be sure to call out if you find anything and I'm talking to myself again." Mirage turned and noticed that Unity had left before he could respond. "She's got initiat… She has init..." He sighed, his stutter forcing him to find another way to say it. "She's got spunk. I like that."

He knelt and picked up the assault rifle known as the Havoc. Beside it was a single box of energy ammo. Picking them both up, he stood back up and checked the magazine. It had only a few shots in it. He reloaded it with box of ammo, with only five extra shots to spare. He held it in both hands as he made his way up the creaky, weather-worn stairs to the second floor. A thorough search of the floor only yielded two frag grenades.

"Well, time to search another building." As he walking out of the building and across to another one, he took a quick glance at the building that Unity had gone into. He saw her through one of its windows. "Hey Unity, found anything you can use?"

"Indeed. I have also found other items that may be of use to you." She walked out of Mirage's sight, further into the building. "I shall finish looking in here and meet up with you in a few minutes."

Mirage paused momentarily at her response before answering. "Will do." He entered another building, gathering its useful contents as he verbally thought on his partner and her words.

"Wow. The way she answered was so…extra. She could have just said 'yes' and kept on searching. In fact, every time she has talked it's been like that. Very wordy, unlike me. I like my words short and to the point." He fell silent a moment, realizing what he had just said. "Okay, maybe I ramble a bit but hey…I like the sound of my voice." After searching both floors, he had found a wingman with only four shots, a med kit, small backpack and a body shield that had already taken shots.

"Well, this has seen some action."

"What has?" Unity asked, as she closed the door behind her.

Mirage looked at her, turning the shield around for her to see its wear and tear. "This body shield. It did its job."

"And it will have to do it some more. I found other items that can be of use for the both of us." She nodded down at all the things that she was carrying on her back and with both of her arms.

"That's quite a haul. What did you get?"

Unity gently laid all the items out on the floor between them, listing them as she did so. "Longbow DMR, Wingman, two Thermite grenades, couple of full, heavy ammo boxes and three syringes." A faint frown appeared on her face. "I did not find a helmet or body shield."

"Have this one."

She gave him a questionable look, as if she believed to have heard him incorrectly. "Excuse me?"

Mirage, once again, activated his skills he had picked up throughout the years at his bartending job and wore his devilishly flirtatious smirk as he held out the body shield towards her. "I'm not about to have angelically-beautiful lady have no protection from bullets fired her way. Take it."

"I would rather a helmet that shields my ears from your terrible attempt at flirting."

Mirage's eyes grew wide in shock, his breath caught in his throat and his heartrate dropped a bit too low for someone who was conscious. Her rebuttal had stunned his mind and body. He couldn't think and his body felt heavy like lead.

Unity noticed that Mirage had been shocked by her response. This was her chance to settle this problem her way. She reached out and gently pushed the shield back towards Mirage. "You found it. Therefore, you will wear it." `

"I…will?"

"You. Will."

From her tone and her serious, fixed gaze into his eyes, Mirage knew that she wasn't going to use the shield. It didn't matter what he could say or would have said, and he knew there was no point in trying to argue the point. He took the shield from her and brought it close to his chest. The shield, being cutting edge in tech, automatically bound itself underneath his clothing and surrounded him in a very thin layer of protection. Even though she had turned down the shield, he still felt slightly guilty that he had **some** protection from any possible gunfire. The only way he knew of clearing it was finding more loot and quickly. Until then, he was going to put her safety first and be extra aware of the surroundings.

"I see you already have two weapons." Unity pointed out. "What do you have?"

"Wingman and a Havoc. I'm a bit short on heavy ammo though."

Unity picked up one of the full boxes of heavy ammo off the floor and handed it to him. "Take this then. I'll need the rest for my Wingman and Longbow, unless you want the sniper?"

"I'm good. Thanks."

Unity picked up all the items up from the floor, Mirage not having any interest in them. She would use these to whatever advantage she could. Deep down, she was glad Mirage hadn't chosen to use the sniper. She preferred them to pistols and close-range weapons. Distance was important to her, and she would not give that up easily.

As the two of them finished getting ready to move out, all the speakers in King's Canyon boomed to life with a warning siren that was followed by a voice of the female announcer for this death game. "Warning: Ring Movement in Progress."

Mirage took out his handheld tablet. He had been so busy gathering gear that he hadn't bothered to take a moment to see where the next ring would be. He let out an audible sigh of relief as he saw that the next ring was close by. Since this was a weekend long game, the movement of the first ring was slow and would take two hours to complete, which was more than enough time to trek to the other side of the swamps and towards higher ground.

"I think we should move towards-"

"Hydro Dam, right?"

"Yeah." Mirage had a hunch and decided to take it. "You wouldn't happen to be able to read minds, would you? Because if you can, that's kinda weird..but just a tiny bit awesome."

Unity slowly raised a loose right fist, resting it against her right cheek as she stared directly at Mirage's hazel eyes. Mirage couldn't look away from her eyes.

_I can't stop staring at her. It's like she's made it impossible for me to. Wait! It's her mind powers. It has to be! If that's the case, then you can hear me, can't you Unity? Well, I might as well ask. Unity, how do you like the sound of my voice. I love hearing it myself. Not as much as I love hearing yours though._

Unity took a deep breath, letting it out with an amused grin on her face. "You thought I was reading your mind just now, weren't you?"

It took him a moment, but he eventually caught on to what she as implying. "You…didn't hear what I saying, did you?"

For the first time since their meeting, Unity let a faint giggle slip from her lips. "I can't read minds. Although, I kinda wish I could have for a minute just to know what it was you were mentally trying to communicate to me."

Not wanting to try repeating what he said, due to her rebuttal from earlier, Mirage shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head. "Sorry. It's a secret until I say it. Anyway, we should get going."

"Yes. Let's do that."

"I'll lead."

"I'm fine with that. I'll watch our backs while you watch our fronts."

"You got it."

And with that, they were off. Hydro Dam awaited them to the southwest of their location in the Swamps. They were on high alert as they made the long walk there. Hopefully getting to higher ground would give them more of an advantage. Little did they know that danger would soon find them, and death wanted to claim more lives on this battlefield.


	5. Chapter 4 Close and Far

Close and Far

* * *

Mirage and Unity had taken the zipline out of swamps and up to the Hydro Dam. Two sets of buildings on either side had closed doors. There was sure to be more gear inside them. Unity still needed a body shield and helmet. Mirage needed a helmet as well. As for ammo and throwables, they would gladly take all they could get. Both agreed to splitting up again, each taking a side of the damn and searching through the buildings.

Mirage slowly opened the door of the his first building, making sure to close it behind him. He scanned the room with his eyes, noting that the place had nothing that could be used to fight with. He left and saw a supply crate was closed. Opening it, he found just a box of heavy ammo.

"Well that was a bit of a disappointment."

He walked into the last room of the building, again closing the door behind him. This room too was entirely lacking in any armor or weapons. This was odd, a bit too odd. And yet, Mirage could only think about how this would impact him and Unity. "No gear? If this keeps up, we will be the first team to get killed. Better keep searching."

* * *

Unity had found a helmet for herself. She was silently thankful as she put it on, its tech turning it invisible and weightless. As for the rest of the building, there was nothing in it of use to her or Mirage. She then walked out of the building and opened the only supply crate in her sight. Inside were another helmet and a low quality body shield. She put on the body shield and grabbed the helmet before going into the next building, which had nothing of use.

_Something feels off about this place. _Her mind subconsciously made her move towards Mirage's position. The lack of gear in the buildings she had went through was unsettling. Swamps had some loot in a few buildings, while these buildings had nothing. Her pace quickened from a casual stride to determined walk. She walked out of her strip of buildings and moved towards the other strip on the other side of the damn.

* * *

"Heads up. I have sight on a target."

"I'll search for the other one. You got a shot on them?"

"You're talking to a professional soldier." They peered through the 4x scope on their G7 and slowly pulled the trigger. The shot rang true, striking the target on the side of their head. They fell to the ground, behind the large turbine in the middle of the damn. "Tango down."

"Ha ha! Nice one. With your precise aiming, Bangalore, we won't have to fight close quarters."

"If we do, your dome shield will give us an emergency barrier when fighting the other enemy teams, Gibraltar."

"Should we move up?"

"No. Let's stay in the damn. Once we see their teammate, we'll rush them and fire in unison. They won't have a chance."

* * *

He had heard the shot of a gun and quickly looked over to where Unity was. As soon as he locked his gaze on her, he watched her body fell hard onto the ground behind the turbine of the damn. His feet moved without thinking, running out of his stretch of buildings. Keeping low to the ground, he knelt beside her. "Oh damn. Please don't be dead." He checked her over for any wounds. However, he didn't see anything. Having a hunch she had found a helmet and was wearing it, he reached for the back of her left ear, pressing the invisible button to decloak the helmet. He immediately noticed the large indent on the left side of the helmet.

"That would have been deadly for her. Thankfully, she had the helmet." Mirage noticed another helmet lying a few feet from their position. "Looks like she found one for me too." He kept low as he went to grab it, putting it on and waiting for it to automatically turn invisible. Once it did, he went back over to Unity and prepared physically and mentally to take on the duo by himself.

"There's only two of them. What could possibly go wrong?" He created a decoy and sent it out and off to the left. He went in the opposite direction, keeping low but moving quickly from cover to cover while having his wingman out and ready.

The sound of a gunshot was heard, followed by several more which caused the decoy to dissipate in shimmers of light. Mirage had been watching his decoy out of his peripheral vision. Now he knew where the duo was. The trick would be getting close enough to get inside the damn and take them out. This required all the power his holo-devices could muster. They would overheat for sure, but he would be able to get in and have a slight chance of taking them out.

"It's dupes o'clock."

* * *

Gibraltar slightly lowered his gun. His shots had hit, but the enemy wasn't real. He was both surprised yet impressed. "It was a fake, like a professional magic trick."

"It must be the fighter going by the name of Mirage. The name suits him well." Bangalore continuously scanned the outside of the damn, waiting for the fool to align with the crosshairs of the scope. "Keep vigilant and shoot at any Mirage you may see. It could be another fake or it could be him. We can shoot freely, having found all that ammo and weapons in the buildings out there." She scanned the area again through her 4x scope and spotted another Mirage. She fired a single shot. Mirage didn't flinch as he stood there, combing his fingers through his hair. "Another fake."

It was a moment in between her steadied breathing that she heard it. Footsteps. They were faint but closing in towards the center of the damn and heading towards the inner room of the damn. She moved from the left side door of the damn, letting it close on its own and quickly ran up the stairs and into the center room of the damn, while saying through her com "Gibraltar, get into the inner room. Double Time!"

"I'm on my way."

As soon as he reached the left side door of the damn, his holo-devices overheated. His invisibility disappeared and he was back to being seen by the naked eye. He slowly pushed the door open, wingman in his right hand ready to fire. In front of him was a staircase that went up and around the corner, deeper into the damn. Fortunately, nobody was here at the door.

"Thank God, if he exists…or she. Who knows?" Mirage whispered to himself as he quietly went up the stairs. A burst of gunfire sounded as he cautiously climbed the stairs.

Once he reached the top, he lowered into a crouching stance and peered through the railing and down to the center room. Sure enough, two people were down there, one scratching the back of their head and the other letting out a hearty chuckle of amusing.

"This Mirage sure has some tricks up his sleeve. What is that, the third phony you've shot at?" Gibraltar laughed as he prepped the dome shield to use, just in case.

"Hm." Bangalore glanced off to her right briefly. Her voice came out as a whisper. "Throw down your dome."

His cheery mood left and was replaced with a sincere tone. "You got it." Throwing down the device, it instantly activated. The blue barrier bubble surrounded the two of them, protecting them from possible distant bullets and thrown grenades.

Mirage sighed. His job just got a lot harder.

_I could just wait them out That shield can't possibily stay up forever, _he thought. However, it was as if some unseen force heard his thoughts and decided they weren't going to give him that option.

Sirens sounded loud and echoed slightly inside the damn. "Warning. Ring movement in progress."

He quickly looked at his miniature tablet. It felt as if heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. The edge of the ring that was closest to him was now going to be Market. It was a lengthy trip that would take several hours. He would rather start heading there now instead of getting into a fight that would happen in the ring. _I've got to get back to Unity. I just left her behind that turbine. _

"Do you do that often?"

Mirage jumped and nearly let out a yelp that would have alerted Bangalore and Gibraltar to his location. Snapping his gaze to his right, he saw Unity who had seemingly snuck and knelt right beside him. His left hand went to his chest as he let a sigh of relief slip through his lips.

Unity, not wasting a second, looked down where Mirage had moments ago. With a raised eyebrow, she gave him a scrutinizing gaze.

Mirage, of course, ignored it to state his mind. "You nearly gave me a heart attack. I can't be having heart failure at thirty. Actually, I wouldn't like heart failure at any age."

"Then we are even, in my eyes, for leaving me behind. Do you always leave your teammates to go and face the enemy when you are outnumbered?"

"No but I wasn't going to let them push us when you were down for the count." His tone grew soft as he changed the subject. "Speaking of which, you okay?"

"The headache I have is bad, but it will go away. A fair trade I would say. As for my helmet, I would rather not find out if it can take another bullet. We should leave quietly and head for the next ring."

"Yes. Let's leave before we get riddled with bullets."

Keeping low, they made their way back down the stairs. Soon they were out of the Hydro Damn. As if their minds were one, they minded their steps and kept looing around them as they journeyed on towards Market.


	6. Chapter 5 Exchanging Personal History

Exchanging Personal History

* * *

The walk to Market was long. The silence between Mirage and Unity had become thick. They had to be mindful of their surroundings, for unnatural noises and unusual movements out of the corners of their sights. Their path would take them around a mountain, through Bridges and the cave that connected Bridges to Market. Time was crawling and so was the sun in the sky. It was around midday and yet the sun was not unbearably hot. It also helped that a gentle breeze would waft by every so often. King's Canyon could have passed as a quiet island that one could travel to and relax from the normality of civilized life.

Mirage was not the type to remain quiet for long. He loved conversation. The many patrons he would mix and serve drinks for would recant stories from their lives, whether they were true experiences or dreams from the clouded minds of drinkers. It was nice to listen and throw in his two cents every so often, passing the time behind the bar. Normally, he wouldn't start the conversations, but it appeared he would have to start one this time.

"So…what's on your mind?"

Unity looked over at him, before returning her gaze to the large bridge that they were nearing with each step. "The only forms of life here our flora. There are no small creatures. Not even a tiny bird. It's unnatural."

"It's because of the tower at Repulsor. I heard it sends out some type of invisible waves that keep all the creatures away from this place, like those big Leviathans we saw on the way here in the dropship and the ugly Flyers."

"Perhaps it's for the better. The wildlife shouldn't have to get involved in all of this madness."

Mirage let a chuckle slip. "Madness? You think it's crazy but here you are, teamed up with the most handsome Legend that is currently on King's Canyon. What made you want to enter into the Apex Games anyways?"

Ignoring the self-praise of his looks, Unity kept to herself briefly. She was unsure how to word what she wanted to answer with. "To simplify it, I want all the worlds to know of me. If they know of me, they will be able to find me, one way or another. And when they find me, I will listen to their stories and help them in any way I can."

"Oh, so you are doing it for fame. Just like me."

She gazed into his eyes and stopped walking. He did so too, unable to pry his eyes off her own. "No," she firmly uttered. "Not like you. You want fame for a different reason." She looked away from him and continued walking on. "Why are you here, Mirage?"

He shook his head briefly, which seemed to remove his stunned stance, and quickened his pace to catch up to Unity and walk beside her once more. "Why am I here? Well, it's like you said. I want to be famous. I can see it now. The name of 'Mirage' plastered on merchandise. My dashing face on billboards in the biggest cities. My unique style in clothing stores. I'll be in many places at once. Nobody will not know the name of 'Mirage'. Oh…and the money. I also won't mind winning the prize money."

"If you don't mind me asking, what will you do with the money?"

A faint smile formed on Mirage's face as he pictured her. "The first thing I'll do is take my mom out to whatever restaurant she wants to, no matter how expensive it is."

"She must mean a lot to you then."

"Of course she does," he shot her a questionable look. "Doesn't your mother mean a lot to you?"

"I don't have one," she said with no emotion behind her words. "Don't have a father either. If I do, I wouldn't know where to begin looking for them."

"I'm…confused. Care to enlighten me?" Mirage hoped that by encouraging her to continue the conversation, the awkward silence would be kept away for even longer. He assumed she had quite the backstory that could last their entire journey towards Market. That and he wished…no, he wanted to know more about her.

She nodded slightly. "Okay. Only if you tell me more about yourself. Agreed?"

"Yeah. Totally. So, who's going first? Am I going first? I feel like I should go first. Unless, of course, you want to go first. After all, the saying goes 'ladies first', and you are the lady here." He trailed off, mentally kicking himself for going on a rambling tangent. However, for the first time since they had met, he heard a stifled laugh slip from Unity's lips.

"I'll start." She shot him a smile before it disappeared a split second later. She took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly as she reminisced back as far as she could, which was not far at all.

"My earliest memory was waking up, staring up at the star-filled, nighttime sky. I was so memorized by it that I just laid there, not giving a damn about anything else. I'm not sure how much time past, but my mind eventually began to think on how I got there. That's when I begin to worry. I sat up and looked around. I had been lying on some stone slab in the middle of a forest. That only fueled my fear. The more I tried to remember, the more terrified I became. I couldn't remember anything that made me…me."

"After I had calmed down, I started walking and kept on walking until I reached a small town. From there, I just lived. I picked up odd jobs here and there to get by. Once I would have enough money and supplies, I would continue moving from one place to the next. I've been doing it for fifteen years now. Lo and behold, I heard about these Apex Games and now…here I am."

Mirage caught on. "So, does that mean you don't remember your name?"

"No. I eventually chose one for myself."

He sidestepped towards her, leaning marginally over as the two continued their trek. He turned up his charm dial high, shooting her a mesmerizing smirk. "What name did you pick or is your name really Unity?"

"Moira. It's Moira. And I assume your real name isn't Mirage."

"Elliot. You can call me Elliot…or Mirage. Whichever one you want to use, use it. Do you prefer Moira or Unity?"

"Either one works," she chuckled. She remembered his end of the deal from earlier. "So, tell me more about yourself. What do you do for work?"

"I'm a bartender at a little place called Paradise Lounge. Ever been to Solace City?"

"No."

"Tell you what. After we win this game, wanna go there? I'll make you a drink so blissful, you'll never want to drink anything else, anywhere else."

Moira made a mental note of that. "Okay. You got it. It better be damn good."

Mirage dramatically placed his right hand over his heart. "I, Elliot Witt, promise you that I will pour my heart and soul into your drink as I pour it into the glass."

Unity mimicked his hand placement on her own chest. "I, Moira, promise to accept your drink and will determine your skills in the art of drink mixing and judge without any prejudice and having no experience in alcoholic beverages whatsoever."

A brief stare at their stances was enough to make them giggle at each other. They took her hands off their chests and kept on their trek to Market.

Their friendship was slowly forming. While Mirage was always the talkative type, Unity was more reserved. He was flamboyant. She was modest. He had someone back home that loved him for him. She knew of no one who even cared about her existence…until now. Two seemingly opposite people were conversing and working together as a team, all during a game of sport where either of them could die in an instant. If they could survive this game, both of them silently believed that this bond, that they were feeling between them, could be something neither would want to give up; and both would fight to keep.


End file.
